Peace III Consultation events

This is far from ideal but there is real pressure to get the Programme designed and recommendations with the European Commission by November of this year if the Programme has any chance of starting on time in 2007. SEUPB plan to hold a more in depth and longer consultation on the actual programme document early in the Autumn.

In preparation for this consultation NICVA organised four pre-consultation seminars with the voluntary and community sector, in Lisburn, Omagh, Belfast and Derry which over 100 people attended. Voluntary and community organisations raised issues and made recommendations on issue such as the design and delivery of Peace III, how Peace III should fit with existing policies and funding programmes, priorities and principles of the Programme and how the programme can encourage local ownership. Recommendations include things like:

• In order to ensure that that Peace III is designed in a more transparent and open manner than its predecessor an external advisory team should be created.
• The available structural funds in NI (Peace III, Interegg and Employment and Competitiveness) should be viewed as a suite of funds alongside mainstream government funding.
• Peace III should support actions which seek to reduce inequalities, incorporate a democratic and human rights dimension, involve women and engage with civil society, especially the most marginalised, in developing their own agendas and articulating needs and their experiences
• Peace III should be a mixture of 'strategic/targeted' funding and an open call based small grants programme.
• There should be one delivery body for Peace III but the SEUPB should create mechanism to ensure local ownership, identity and knowledge is protected in the new programme.

The results of these consultation sessions have been submitted to SEUPB. View a full copy of the report.

SEUPB have organised a series of public consultation meetings which are open to everyone. You don't need to register, however you can get more information about the events from Fiona Mark on +44 (0)28 9039 3837 f.mark@morrowcommunications.com

8 June - Fairways Hotel, Dundalk. 6pm

12 June - Corcaghan Community Centre, Monaghan. 3pm

13 June - St Ann's Youth Centre, Sligo. 3pm

14 June - Ballymena Show Grounds, Ballymena. 6pm

15 June- Guildhall, Derry. 3pm

20 June - Grosvenor House, Belfast. 4pm

SEUPB has also developed a useful website dedicated to the consultation which has a consultation discussion document as well as a toolkit you can use to hold your own consultation www.seupb.org/newprogrammesconsultation.htm

If you would like more information on the NICVA paper or any other aspect of Peace III please contact James Laverty or Lisa McElherron.